ColourPop is absolutely everywhere at the moment. And saying that I’m completely obsessed about this brand is not far from the truth!

I already introduced you to the brand in my Indie Makeup post and I also had a lot of questions about the brand, so I’m probably not the only one feeling very interested in it!

I have many ColourPop products to present so I will probably do more posts on the topic right after this one.

Today, I’ll talk in more detail about the ColourPop brand and I will also give you a review of its star product: the ColourPop Super Shock Eyeshadows.

Colourpop, presentation:

Story and concept:

As I mentioned, I have already introduced ColourPop briefly in my Indie Makeup post and I don’t really have much more information to add, I’m afraid…

The brand exists since 2014, I believe. I’m sure about one thing: the online store opened on May the first of 2014.

As far as I know (and it was difficult to find any info), ColourPop is an independent company based in Los Angeles and the products are all made in USA.

The brand started with the Super Shock Shadows (eyeshadows) and the Pressed Pigments. Then soon after, they launched the Lippie Stix (lipstick) and the Lippie Pencils (lip pencils). Early 2015, it was the turn of their blush to be released (the Super Shocks Cheeks) and the brand has announced the launch of its Highlighters for this month.

The choice of colors is huge. There are a gazillion colors, even the most unexpected (mint or turquoise blue lipsticks for example) and also many limited editions. The brand doesn’t put any limits with regards to the choice of the colors. If a color which is a limited edition has a lot of success and there are a lot of requests on Instagram to make it permanent, there’s a good chance it will be.

The products’ production time is rather short because all products are manufactured on site in the Santa Monica factory. For comparison sake, with a classic makeup brand, it takes between 12 and 18 months to develop a product. For ColourPop, the development is done in 1 month (but of course, you have to add the test phase, which takes a little longer, 3 months). This means that their reactivity is very fast. If there is a trendy color that everyone wants right now, it’s very likely that ColourPop will have it quite fast in their collection.

However, you can feel that it’s still a small company with their delivery. Better to be patient, because when you order, it usually takes between 10 and 15 days for the parcel to arrive at your doorstep. (and for me, it takes even longer because of the delivery to the UAE via Shop and Ship)

Delivery is not international for the moment but hopefully given the huge demand, that will change soon, fingers crossed!

Another characteristic of the brand, its very low prices. Initially, there was a single price for all the products: $5. The value for money is one of the best in the market!

Blushes and highlighters are a bit more expensive: $8. But it’s still a very affordable price!

Values:

ColourPop insists that all production is made in the USA. In this time of economic crisis and nationalism, it’s always a good selling point! wink

The products are not tested on animals, and of course ColourPop communicates about it because it’s also a very strong argument. A majority of the products are also vegan (not derived from animal based product) and even 100% guaranteed gluten-free! (looool) ( but it’s better to avoid eating them wink )

Another great idea, the brand doesn’t hesitate to show its products directly on the skin, with many swatches. And not just on white skin! The swatches are made on a fair skin, a medium one and a black skin. I find this way of showing its products is super smart!

They’re also very accessible. Communication with the brand is easy either through their customer service or their different social media accounts. The proximity to their customers seems to be very important to them. I’m not going to complain! smile

Communication:

As I said earlier, the proximity with their customers is very important to ColourPop. In each parcel, they include a hand written thank-you card, which is so sweet and makes you feel like you’re special to them!

They also communicate a lot via their social media: Facebook, Twitter and especially Instagram. So it’s very easy to get and share information directly with the community manager of ColourPop or the brand’s fan community (which is very active!).

ColourPop does not really do big advertisement campaigns but it doesn’t hesitate to associate with bloggers or youtubers, whether for reviews (they send the products) as well as collaborations. These are exclusive colors created with the blogger or the youtuber, which are clearly a commercial success and also gives the brand a very cool and trendy image.

In summary, ColourPop describes itself as the cool kids makeup brand and that is quite right! You can totally picture the products of the brand used for a great Coachella makeup! (By the way, this song too, is super cool!;))

ColourPop Super Shock Eyeshadows, presentation:

– Innovation and formula:

The texture of these eyeshadows is really surprising. It’s really a hybrid texture between a cream eyeshadow, a powder and a mousse: it’s almost bouncy when you touch it. It’s very curious and this is the first time I am dealing with this kind of texture… It makes me think of the Illusions d’Ombres by CHANEL but with a more “powdery” feeling.

What’s more, it can be quite unsettling at first because you don’t know how to use it.

Also, be careful to keep the jar lid tightly closed otherwise the texture will dry!

– Colour range and finishes:

The big strength of the brand. The color range is almost endless… There are over a hundred of different shades! Neutral or crazy colors, you will definitely find something for your taste!

And I think they’re all beautiful. Even the crazy colors are sublime. And it was very hard to resist them, even if most of the time, I’m wearing neutral colors on my eyelids. All this shades make you want to be bolder and audacious with your makeup. Luckily, with ColourPop, you can!

There’re also a huge variety of finishes: matte, satin, metallic, iridescent, glitter, neon … In short, enough to make you lose your head!

– Packaging:

The packaging is very “pop 60’s“: a round white plastic jar, very “Courrèges” in my opinion! The ColourPop inscription is in hologram silver, which reinforces this very futuristic aspect.

The packaging is obviously very pretty and “Instagram-friendly” but it’s also very bulky… I dream of a practical storage system for all these small jars because for now, it really takes a lot of room in my makeup drawer…

– Application:

The texture is very special, it took me a while to figure out how to use them.

ColourPop gives a lot of tips for the application, which is very nice. The brand recommends to apply them with the finger tips for a better coverage but you can also use a brush if you prefer.

I’m not a fan of the finger application (I find it difficult to blend with my finger), so I tried with several of my brushes and I find that it works a lot better with firm synthetic brushes (you can get more product on them). If the brush is too soft, it doesn’t pick up anything. So generally, I applied the Super Shock shadows with a brush, but if I want to give more intensity to my makeup, I apply it in the middle of my eyelid with my finger.

It’s possible to do a full makeup look with only ColourPop eyeshadows, it works, but especially with the very iridescent eyeshadows, what I love to do is pairing them with traditional powder eyeshadows. I usually do my makeup with my classic powder eyeshadows and I end with a hyper metallic or glittery ColourPop eyeshadow to catch the light in the middle of my eyelid.

They are only available online but mostly ColourPop doesn’t deliver worldwide… For now, the delivery is only possible for the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.

I am sure that the delivery will extend to other countries, but the question is when…

– Effect: A teal eyeshadow, between blue and green, one of my favorite colors. I love it applied along the lashline but it’s also great for a more intense and colorful makeup look, to change for the very classic brown or black smoky eyes.

Smash, Get Lucky, Lovely, I Heart This, Amaze:

These 5 eyeshadows are rather metallic.

– Smash: one of my favorites. A rather subtle satin golden beige. This is not the most metallic of the lot, so it’s very easy to wear, even during the day. This is the kind no-brainer color that can stand for itself!

– Get Lucky: a beautiful golden eyeshadow, not too yellow, more like an antique gold color (which I love). This is a true metallic eyeshadow. It’s very beautiful and simple used as an highlight on the center of the eyelid, for example.

– Lovely: a golden eyeshadow as well but with more orange undertones. It’s warmer and with a metallic and glittery finish. This is a fairly light orange shade, so it’s easier to wear than it looks! It’s very bright and the glitter is relatively discreet and subtle.

– I Heart This: I Heart This eyeshadow (obviously ^^). It’s a sublime pewter, between a light gold and a silver, a kind of metallic taupe with multicolored glitter. This is one of the most luminous shadows I own. It’s perfect applied all over the lid along with a nice black eyeliner or even in the inner corner for an ultra-highlight effect!

– Amaze: a true rosegold (or copper if you prefer) shade, with warm orange undertones… Very metallic with gold glitter, it’s very sparkly. I’m a little pale for this kind of color at the moment, but as soon as I have a little bit of a tan, it will be perfect! smile

Eye Candy, So Quiche, Bae, 3:

And to end this review, 4 ultra glittery/fairy tale/princess shades!

– Eye Candy: a light purple eyeshadow dotted with pink and silver glitter. I know, the description may be a little scary (Barbie Power !!!) but it is rather easy to wear because the flakes won’t be seen that much and then it’s a pretty clear eye! In addition, it brings out green eyes …;)

–So Quiche: I love this shade because it’s truly unique. It’s an olive green golden beige with warm undertones with pink and silver glitter, giving an true duo-chrome effect. A gem! Because I love it so much, I usually use this shade alone on my eyelid and that’s it!

– Bae: this eyeshadow is a real star. It’s very surprising because when you see it in the jar, you would expect an intense teal eyeshadow and it’s actually a purple shade with tons of blue-green glitter! Surprise! smile It’s very nice for a smoky or even in the outer corner. An amazing and sublime shade IMO.

– 3: it’s a very glittery neutral brown eyeshadow with silver glitter. I love it applied in the outer corner or along the lash line for an intense and luminous effect.

Finally, some makeup looks:

On the first look, I used Cop A Feel as a base all over the lid, Hanky Panky in the crease, Smash on the entire eyelid, Get Lucky as a highlight on the center of the eyelid and finally To A T very slightly in my outer corner. A black liner and lots of black mascara to give intensity and voila!

It’s a bit my every day look. It’s easy and it goes with everything.

This look is much more colorful and fun, perfect for a summer evening!

Here too, I applied Cop A Feel all over the lid, I Heart This on the inside of the eyelid, Eye Candy on the outside of the eyelid and finally Bae on the outer corner and along the lower lash line (but only on the outside). I used Effect as a liner along the upper lash line.

Finally, I added a teal liner in the waterline and lots of black mascara.

In summary:

Pros

- the incredible choice of colors and finishes - the insane pigmentation and coverage - the application is simple once you got used to the texture - the texture is creamy and soft - almost no fall-outs - excellent lasting power on eyelids - no animal testing - the value for money is unbeatable - the people behind the brand seem very accessible through their social media and their customer service, they're ultra cool and super friendly

Cons

- you have to get used to the texture - the packaging is a bit bulky (especially if you collect them like me) - the delivery is not international - the delivery time is relatively long (allow 10-15 days), you have to be patient

And you, tempted by ColourPop eyeshadows? Can we all sign a petition for worldwide delivery?

EDIT (12/07/16):

Great news! Worldwide delivery is finally available for ColourPop! (Well, to be precise, it will be tonight wink ) The brand is now delivering all over the world, except China and Turkey. I don’t know all the details yet but apparently the delivery fees will depend on the location and the weight of each package. FINALLY!!!

Comments

Bonnie you’re killing me with your reviews, the realsies, swatches etc and of course ColourPop curently is great value for money, hope it stays that way. Luckily I’m in NY so easy delivery for me. OK maybe too easy :) I had looked at Clinique’s pops (Pansy and Secret) + Urban Decay but these look awesome, love how they look and the little notes, that’s so cute. I have what I’d refer to as pale yellowish undertone to my skin, which ColourPop Super Shock eyeshadow would you recommend for me? Love the Cool kids song, “being unique, being someone you want to be” So there is 3rd review coming then, read the first 2 just now, can’t wait :)

Ah ah ah, how lucky you are to be in NY, the delivery is so easy for you lol! (but yeah, so dangerous also ah ah ah) I also looked at the new Clinique’s pop cheeks but the shades look quite dull compared to the ColourPop’s IMO… To answer your question, I’m not so sure, what color are your eyes? For the Super Shock Cheeks, when I refer to my own skin tone, I say it has also some yellow undertones and I would say that every pinky shade should be perfect for you! Mochi and Early Bird would be a great pick! :)

Cosmetics are gluten-free for the same reason they are (or should be) free of other harmful chemicals: Because your skin is the body’s largest organ and anything you put on it is absorbed into your system. For those who are allergic to or intolerant of gluten, putting it on the skin is just as much of a concern as eating it. Particularly with an allergy, as the body will produce antibodies no matter how the substance is introduced into the system. So, gluten free is a really awesome selling point for Celiacs because it’s very difficult for them to find products that don’t cause a reaction since wheat and other forms of gluten are so prevalent.

Yes, I think you’re absolutely right about the people who are really allergic to gluten: it’s very important and it has to be mentioned for their safety. But my point was that nowadays, the mention “gluten-free” seems to be used more for commercial reasons than fore real medical ones. But after all, if it makes life easier for the Celiacs, good for them! ;)

Trbobitch gave a very competent answer and you made a mockery of it. “But after all, if it makes life easier for the Celiacs, good for them!” Wow. Listen to yourself. Good for them? Do you think we LIKE being restricted? Do you think it isn’t frustrating to have to check every single product and not be able to use certain cosmetics because they make us sick? I can’t even TOUCH something that contains gluten and not react. Yes, some people try going gluten free because they think it will be good for them or help them lose weight (false!) or some other idiotic reason, but they’re treating it like a fad diet, something to be discontinued once they tire of it because it’s too hard or too restrictive. Well, it’s neither a fad nor a diet, it is a life change people allergic or sensitive to gluten must make. We have no choice. I’m so sick and tired of people dropping their two cents and thinking it’s funny or cute when they have no idea what they’re talking about. What an insensitive comment. Shame on you.

First of all, I’m very sorry if you got the wrong impression with my answer to Trbobitch’s comment. To your point, this was related to the principle that some people get obsessed with gluten-free for reasons that are not to do with allergies but rather with weight loss/health programs. Again I do not have serious allergies myself but do appreciate and understand how difficult this can be for people like yourself. However I re-read my comment (translated from French into English in my mind) but do not agree at all with you I was not mocking anybody and think your comment is extremely aggressive in this sense, plus leaving an email address that says “youreajerk” is pretty childish. Please go troll other sites and forget about me.

Thank you for such a wonderful review. I like reading reviews on products before I buy any. I was looking to buy six shades, pressed pigment or supershock. I have hazel eyes and a light warm skin tone… with very flushed cheeks. I was wondering if you recommend any new ones? The ones I like right now for sure are Sequin and Note to Self. I usually stick to warm colors, but I love colors that make my eyes pop!

Hey Annie! I really like the new pressed powder eyeshadows but I don’t own a lot of them. I did a review on the ones I have here: ColourPop Pressed Powder Shadows, my review. Maybe you will find some useful swatches there? ;) I hope it helps! :)